What Should I Look For In Hi-Vis Clothing?
If you need hi-vis garments for your business, read on to discover what to consider.
When looking to buy hi-vis clothing it is important to make sure that there is coverage at both the front and back of the body. 360-degree coverage provides much better visibility in all possible viewing directions.
Reflective stripes that have a different colour contrast from the background fabric stand out more. The stripes should be made from retroreflective material, as the background fluorescent material is highly visible during daylight hours but not so visible at night without the reflective stripes.
Depending on what situation the vest is to be used in, you may want to look at the material being fire retardant and water-resistant. It should also have the flexibility and tear away features or it may need pockets for mobile phones or pens. Employers and individuals can select their own colour and stripe preference that provides the most suitable visual indication of movement and contrast.
When deciding on the brightness needed in the reflective vest, fluorescent colours are much more noticeable than muted colours in daylight. The same goes for low light conditions such as dusk or dawn, but it is advisable to partner this with reflective materials for increased visibility.
In dark conditions such as at night or on a worksite, greater retroreflectivity is required with this personal protective equipment to combat low light conditions, as fluorescent fabrics are ineffective at night. The reflective tabard should also be fitted to the individual and be comfortable to wear. Keep in mind the size of the clothing that will be worn underneath.
Why Blue Visibility Vests Not Recommended In A Working Environment
Blue as a colour is not very effective for fluorescent safety clothing as its wavelength is not so good at emitting light and the human eye struggles to see blue anyway. So blue high visibility vests are sold as not conforming to PPE Standards.
As blue is not as visible to the naked eye as other colours, a child wearing a blue school uniform may not stand out visually.
A safety vest with retroreflective tape in the vest would reflect light back at the source, making your child more visible. And by wearing a reflective vest with a different colour of fluorescent material than the blue school uniform would also increase the visibility of your child.
High visibility clothing comes in colours such as pink, yellow, green, orange, and red to stand out with the aid of retroreflective tape. Orange and Yellow hi-vis vests are worn in the industry by people like road sweepers, policemen, lorry drivers, and postal workers.
Pink reflective vests tend to be worn by horse riders and motorcyclists, as it is a colour not often found in nature and it stands out well against the colour of leaves in spring and autumn. Fluorescent colours can work excellently in wet or muddy weather and they absorb and emit different kinds of light. But many people do not realise that fluorescent colours do not glow in the dark, you need something with retroreflective tape for that effect.
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